Telling Stories with the Rotary Voice

For more than 100 years, Rotary has united leaders committed to applying their expertise to better their communities. Despite over a century of impact in communities around the world, Rotary does not get the recognition it deserves.

We need to rethink how we tell our story so people everywhere understand what Rotary stands for, how we’re different, and why it matters. Recently, Rotary has embarked on a multiyear initiative of unprecedented scale to strengthen our image. In addition to expanding public understanding of what Rotary does, we want to motivate, engage, and inspire current and prospective members, donors, partners, and staff.

Rotary has a number of tools in order to help Rotarians spread the word about the good work that they do. One such tool is the messaging toolkit, available here. Below are some excerpts from it. If you have a Rotary story that you would like to share, then mention it in the comments below, and it may even be selected to be featured as a weekly meeting!

We are Rotary, and we have a great story to tell. It’s up to all of us to protect, promote, and deliver on that story in all our interactions. Through a unified Rotary image and message, we’re not just enhancing our reputation, we’re elevating the entire Rotary experience.

First, it is critical that we distill the essence of who we are. Rotary's global research revealed these three insights into who Rotarians are, across the globe.

Who we are and what we value injects life into the stories we tell.

What are “values?” Values drive our behavior. They represent our beliefs, what we do, and how we act.

How did we define our values? Our values are rooted in guiding principles that have always defined Rotary. Now, we want to bring our values to life by showing how we demonstrate them in communities around the world.

What is our voice? Our voice is the unique tone and style in which we communicate.

Why is a distinctive voice important for Rotary? There is no organization quite like Rotary. By using a unified voice in all our interactions, we ensure our communications capture our distinct character — and how people experience Rotary. By speaking, writing, and designing in one voice, our communications will look, feel, and sound unmistakably like Rotary.

How should we use our voice? Our voice attributes serve as a guide for how we speak, write, and design. Use them as criteria to evaluate your communications. A variety of visual and verbal tools (e.g., copy, imagery, information graphics, etc.) can help us infuse our voice into all of our communications.